Assassin the Sinner
by Ghostunderasheet
Summary: Assassin was not their Nakama. But he wanted to be. Before meeting the Strawhat Pirates, Assassin was many things. Genderless, fearless, friendless and Bladeless. But maybe meeting this strange crew can change that. If Zoro stops being suspicious, Nami stops freaking out and Luffy can take this seriously for once. Genderless!OC Family-centric. Extra crew-members (to be listed)
1. Introduction

This is Ghostunderasheet again, with another One Piece story. This is not another OC-comes-along-for-the-ride fic. Things CHANGE. The same arcs happen and we meet the same people, but with different results and different events and consequences.

This is also not a OC-is-just-an-excuse-to-make-a-pairing fic, because romance is very much so NOT the focus here. Everything is on Nakamaship, honor, family, duty, freedom, struggle, justice, etc. I am not telling you what Assassin's gender is until the rest of the Strawhats figure it out, so until then I'll just be switching back and forth between the masculine and feminine pronouns, 'he' and 'she' depending on whose POV it is.

I am not telling you Assassin's backstory all at once. Bits and pieces are going to be revealed and you can put them together however you like until I give you the rest of the story, but don't be impatient because I'm planning for the long-haul here.

I've ONLY come up with what OCs are inevitable to build backstory for Assassin, and none of them play too much of a major role in the plot, I'm inventing parents, mentor for the time skip, etc. Nothing more than that.

I beta myself as best I can for grammar and spelling, so please try not to be too harsh on me in that area. Constructive criticisms are fully welcome!

I try really hard not to just re-use the dialogue and plot from the main canon, so there are spots where I basically just say 'and then he told them his story about _' and assume that you already know what it is, because you read the manga/watched the anime on your own and aren't an amnesiac who can't remember on your own. You don't need to read it again. If you really don't remember, use the wiki. If you actually haven't, then wtf are you doing in this fanfiction when you could be appreciating ACTUAL One Piece right now? Go do that.


	2. Romance Dawn

It was Zoro who noticed it first. There was smoke on the horizon, a pillar of it rising up into the sky. In an effort to keep to a straight line, he aimed the tiny dingy towards it, not in any particularly hurry to make landfall so soon after Shell Island. They were just drifting after all.

"What is it?" Luffy wondered, finally noticing their destination.

"I dunno. Seems a bit big to be a campfire. Maybe there's some sort of celebration going on?" Zoro guessed, not overly concerned.

"That isn't a bonfire," Luffy corrected him, voice more serious than Zoro had believed him capable of up to that point. The ghost of Grey Terminal flashed behind the young captain's eyes and he drew a breath. "Go faster. They might need help." Luffy might not be a hero, but that didn't make him a heartless bastard. If they could help they would. He just wouldn't share any of his meat, not that he had any left. It had already been eaten some time ago.

Zoro wasn't sure why Luffy was being so serious all of a sudden, but he figured he didn't have to. He rowed faster anyway. It was his captain's orders and if someone needed help then it wasn't like it would cost him anything.

The closer the island got the more worried the two became. It wasn't a very big island, the village was right on the edge, surrounded by forests. What's left of the forest that is. It was a town of ashes. Luffy scanned for bodies and was both relieved and confused to realize that there were none. But there was still one building burning, entirely shrouded in flames, located at the end of the single street. While it was obviously a temple or church of some kind, no one was there trying to put it out. Zoro wondered if they'd gotten there too late to see… whatever happened.

Then he heard the sobbing. So someone _was_ still here. The sound was coming from- "There's someone inside!" Zoro shouted, running forward and kicking open the door, heedless of the fire which cleared up as soon as he entered, feeding on the oxygen that his breaking the door had caused to flow in.

He could hear it clearer now, despite most of his vision being obscured by smoke. Belatedly Zoro tied his bandanna around his face in an attempt to keep from breathing in too much of it. The source of the sobbing was trapped under an overturned statue of some sort, desperately yanking to get free and failing miserably. They were trying to move towards the fallen body in the middle of the room. The body lying in a pool of its own blood.

Zoro moved quickly, running forward to check the unmoving body first. It was a woman with beautiful blonde hair and wide, unseeing red eyes. She was already dead. There was nothing Zoro could do and, judging by her chest wound, her death would have been quick at the very least. But the other one wasn't dead yet. That one he could still save.

He quickly braced himself against the ground and pushed up against the statue with his back. It was stone, some sort of marble, and very heavy, but he managed it. The figure dressed in black shot forward, scrabbling against the ground on hands and knees, one leg obviously injured, to crouch by the body of the woman. Zoro grabbed his - he _figured_ it was a he, didn't exactly check - shoulder.

"We've got to go!" he shouted in warning, "The whole building's coming down on top of us!"

"No!" the guy shouted, voice rough with smoke and screaming, "NO! Wake up! Please wake up!" He stared shaking the woman's body hysterically.

But they didn't have time for that sort of thing. Zoro grabbed the smaller male around the middle and lifted him up, slinging him up over his shoulder as he went. He was screaming and fighting the whole way and actually managed to latch onto the doorframe with one hand at an awkward angle. Zoro couldn't pry his hand off without loosening his grip around the boy's waist but fortunately Luffy rushed over and pried his fingers away from the archway.

Zoro only managed to get so far away from the blaze before pain erupted in his arm and it fell slack. While Zoro started at his arm, slightly shocked that it had failed him, the boy half trampled over him in his rush back towards the temple. Fortunately, Luffy caught him about the waist before he could make it back into the flames. Though he fought back, Luffy didn't let up and held him back, mostly by keeping his feet away from the ground, though he twisted like an eel trying to get loose he did not succeed.

"You don't understand!" the boy shouted, "She's still in there! I've got to get her! I've got to-"

"She's already dead!" Zoro shouted in his face, glowering at the pain from his arm. "You can't help! She's already gone!"

" _NO!_ " The boy shouted desperately, but both pirates knew that he believed them. "No." And the sobbing started up again. Given a new reason to mourn, the boy couldn't hold it in as he watched the temple burn, the body still trapped inside. "Why does all the bad shit always happen to me?" he whispered.

Only Luffy was close enough to hear over the roar of the flames.

Together the three watched the building burn, newly devoid of life.

* * *

Zoro took the time to watch the, now unconscious, boy he'd saved from the flames. He seemed pretty young, considering the number of weapons he had on him, some of which were obviously missing from various sheaths and pouches, approximately eighteen, maybe younger. Everything he wore was black and tight, which just highlighted his pale skin and blinding white hair, cut in a messy, uneven sort of way and in need of a trim. He was short, though still taller than Luffy and kind of androgynous up close. He was smudged with ash and blood all over, making the exposed skin on his arms and face almost glow in the sunlight.

"Do you think she's going to be okay?" Luffy asked.

"You think it's a girl?" Zoro asked him, surprised. "I thought it was a boy."

"Eh, we'll ask it when it wakes up," Luffy shrugged, automatically dismissing the issue and defaulting to a gender neutral pronoun. "But do you think it'll be okay?"

"Are _you_ okay?" Zoro asked, more worried about his captain than the stranger. His captain was his responsibility, the he-she-it was just a victim of circumstance he managed to help out, a secondary concern at best. "You froze up back there with the fire."

Luffy paused for the barest of seconds before answering, "I'm not fond of fires. The past doesn't matter though. Do you think it'll be okay?"

"I guess that depends on how strong he is," Zoro shrugged, unconcerned. His captain had secrets and he could accept that. Everyone did, himself included. "We don't even know what happened here."

"Cipher Pol happened," the stranger croaked out, carefully propping himself up on one elbow, hand going to the left shoulder where there was a particularly large patch of blood.

"Who?" Luffy wondered. "Also, are you a boy or a girl?"

"It doesn't matter," he-she-it dismissed. "Think of me however you want. I'm cool with it."

"So she's a she!" Luffy decided.

"Yep," she agreed.

"But also a he?" Zoro asked, seriously confused at this point but just sorta rolling with it. His-her eyes were a blood red, the exact same shade as the woman in the temple had. They were related then.

"If you'd rather think of me that way sure, I don't care really," she offered, wincing as she peeled the shoulder of her vest up and to the side, revealing a bullet wound which, thankfully, wasn't bleeding too badly and didn't look to have nicked the bone. "Shit," she muttered, hissing, "Give me a sec, I gotta threat this."

"So you're a doctor?!" Luffy asked, ecstatic. He didn't have a doctor in his crew yet!

"Oh gods no," he dismissed. "I count more as an emergency battle surgeon than anything. I can handle most any type of _injur_ y unless it requires a more complicated surgery than I've been trained in, but if you get sick around me you're doomed." He hissed again as he carefully drew the bullet out with tweezers, almost magically produced from his belt. "Not a doctor," he muttered, going about the process of sanitizing the wound and stitching it up. "Doctors keep you healthy, I just fix your boo-boos after the fact."

"You sure you should be doing that if you're not a doctor?" Zoro asked, watching in morbid fascination as the bullet was removed and dropped onto the grass. "Shouldn't we take you to one?"

"No doctors," the albino denied. "I can handle this much. I used to sew my bro up all the time. This isn't even anywhere vital, just the shoulder." He grimaced through the pain of the needle but gave no other sign of distress.

"You mentioned Cipher Pol?" Zoro demanded.

"Yeah," she answered plainly. "Dogs for the World Government. Came and burnt everything. Took most of the people, stuck them on ships and sank them. My family go the special treatment and watched." His face hardened and he glared at them. "You guys have a problem with that?" he asked.

Zoro's eyebrows went up. What had this village done that deserved the interference of the World Government? And how could the entire town be considered responsible? That just wasn't possible. They couldn't _all_ be responsible for… whatever they were accused of. This guy wasn't giving them the whole picture here. Luffy though, the second he'd heard the words 'World Government' he was lost in memories of Grey Terminal and his brothers and fire and _his brother wasn't here anymore because they killed him_. This whole thing reminded him of Grey Terminal more than he realized.

"It's not a problem," Luffy declared boldly, much to the incredulity of the other two. "Join my crew!"

"What? Why?" she asked, completely thrown off. "Like a pirate crew? Dear gods _why?_ "

"Because I want you to," Luffy insisted.

Well that part seemed obvious enough. "And _why_ would you want _that?_ " she persisted.

"Just because," Luffy shrugged. "So you'll join, right?"

"You haven't even heard my name yet. You have no idea what I do. You don't know what the World Government wants with me and trust me on this if nothing else: it's not good." he emphasized, considering the captain in front of him. "You have a dangerous level of courage. So much so that I fear it passes the border into stupidity."

"Okay so tell me that stuff and _then_ join my crew," Luffy ordered.

"Luffy I'm not so sure that's a good idea," Zoro protested though he was generally ignored.

The boy sighed. "I'm Assassin. That's both my name and my profession, and I _cannot_ join your crew because I have other obligations to deal with first," he denied the strawhat captain.

"But _why~?_ " Luffy whined.

Assassin just sighed and ignored him, standing up, mindful of her injured shoulder, and cautiously picked her way through the ashes towards the body. She picked up something Zoro hadn't noticed before, and his breath caught in realization. The dead woman had an empty sheath strapped to her waist. Zoro was a swordsman. He knew _exactly_ what having an empty sheath represented and it was just. Not. _Done_. Zoro had never actually seen an empty sheath before without its sword nearby and quite frankly he never expected to. It was nearly impossible to do something bad enough to deserve that punishment. And how the woman's daughter/son/whatever _chose_ to accept that responsibility as she affixed the sheath to her back, carrying it as her own. The sins of Assassin's forebearer belonged to her now.

"I cannot join your crew because I have a job to do," he said simply, not turning to face them. "And it's more important to me."

"You can do that too!" Luffy offered eagerly, obviously not understanding the meaning behind the sheath.

"I have to kill a Vice Admiral." Assassin offered a moment for Luffy to interrupt but he said nothing. "Kill him, not stop him, not kick his ass, not beat him up, not cripple him. Kill him. In cold blood as premeditated murder. No mercy." Zoro understood. Assassin wouldn't have the blade back until the man was dead. She could hold it in her hands again, maybe, but it wouldn't be _hers_ until he was dead, as the one who took it he had to die. Luffy didn't answer. "Are you sure that it's a good idea to have a professional assassin wanted by the World Government in your crew?" Assassin asked, finally turning to see the answer. Some things you had to read in a person's eyes because their voice didn't reflect it perfectly.

"Yes. Just join my crew already," Luffy insisted. He sounded like a petulant child asking for a puppy. But Assassin could see that he was too strong for that. Luffy had decided. Toddlers didn't have the kind of willpower or resolve that the young pirate captain hid behind his eyes. She could respect that kind of determination. The swordsman too. They were strong. They could be resilient. They'd been forged through fire and come out stronger for it.

"How about this," Assassin offered, "You help me get my job done. And after that, but _not_ before, I will agree. Until then, I will sail with you and offer my services in return for transportation. As a _passenger_ , not a partner. Once I get my job done, then I'll join."

"Yes!" Luffy cheered, "I've got another nakama!"

Assassin blinked, turning to Zoro. "Did he hear what I just said at all?" she wondered. "I'm not nakama."

"He heard the part where you said 'I'll join'," he smirked at her. "But other than that, probably not."

Assassin smiled, amused despite herself. It was fine then, everything was decided. She would travel with this idiot captain and his paranoid swordsman first mate. She would be their passenger, for now, and nothing more. Until she had her sword back she simply didn't have the right to join properly. Assassin would probably have to spend a lot of time correcting her idiot captain about the status she held on the ship, but that was okay. It might just be worth it.


	3. Arrival in Orange Town

This was a boat. A very small, _crowded_ boat designed for only two people at a time. It was _not_ a ship. Assassin couldn't help but be grouchy. She had sharpened and cleaned all her knives, checked and oiled the hinges on her nunchucks, cleaned her fingernails, taken registry of her poisons, counted her darts, needles and shuriken, done a few minuscule braids in her tousled hair, ensured there was a bullet loaded in each chamber of her single flintlock pistol and polished the blades of her tonfas. And she was still bored. There wasn't sufficient space for her to breath, much less meditate and though she gave no outward sign of it, it was driving her crazy.

 **THUNK!** Assassin ground the pommel of her knife into Luffy's hand, pinning it to the ground. The only thing to break the monotony of the journey was trying to keep Luffy from stealing and eating all their food supplies.

"Nooo~!" Luffy whined pitifully. Assassin's face remained impassive, her heart hardened by steel. "But I'm _hungry!_ "

"Zoro and I like food too," Assassin explained patiently. "So I'm saving some for us. You've already had your portion for today. I will not allow you to take any more."

"But that isn't fair!" Luffy whined. "I haven't eaten!"

"You have eaten," Assassin corrected mercilessly, "and actually, sharing is exactly what fair is."

"Zoro! Make Assassin share the food with me!" Luffy begged his first mate.

Assassin was unimpressed. "If you agree with him, I'm giving him your share and you can both starve," he threatened blandly. "Fair warning." Zoro was reluctant to agree with Assassin and disagree with his captain, even if he thought Assassin was in the right here.

"Ugh, I'm so hungry, it's killing me," Luffy complained, flopping onto his back dramatically, rocking the boat slightly.

"Luffy, if you're that hungry, than catch some food," Zoro argued, silently congratulating himself on not having to deal with that just yet.

"Hey look," Assassin noticed, "a bird. It looks pretty far away, it's up higher than the clouds. I wonder how big it is."

"I'll catch it!" Luffy volunteered enthusiastically.

"How?" Zoro demanded blandly. "I mean go fishing or something, not learn to fly."

"Leave that to me!" Luffy decided enthusiastically, grabbing onto the sail and stretching his arms out. "Gum Gum Rocket!"

"Makes sense," Zoro muttered.

"I didn't realize he had a Devil Fruit," Assassin muttered, interested. "Which one is it?"

"Gum Gum Fruit. He's a Rubberman," Zoro reported blandly, not overly interested in Luffy's abilities and somewhat suspicious of Assassin's calm reaction. Any normal person would have freaked out. He'd freaked out. What made Assassin so special? Devil Fruits were freaky dammit. Maybe he'd seen one before? Zoro was pretty sure after meeting Luffy there wasn't much else which could surprise him anymore.

"He's not coming down," Assassin noted. "I think it was a big bird."

"WWAAGGHH! HELP ME!" Luffy's shout drifted down to them.

"Start paddling!" Assassin shouted.

"Keep our heading straight after him!" Zoro shouted back at the same time, both of them immediately snapping into action.

"There are people up ahead," Assassin noticed. "I say we mow 'em down."

"Do you have to kill everything that crosses your path?" Zoro complained, not slowing down.

"Oh please," Assassin snorted derisively, "Like you've never killed anybody either. Besides, they might survive."

They both ignored the frantic pleas of the castaways, Zoro simply shouting, "We can't stop! You're just gonna have to jump in!" The three shipwreckers made it on, despite Zoro's ridiculous speed only because Assassin visibly restrained himself from breaking their fingers when they were clinging to the edge like he obviously wanted to. "I'm actually kind of impressed you made it on!" Zoro admitted, just slightly winded. The extra weight wasn't helping their speed.

"Stop the boat now," the middle one ordered threateningly. Assassin wondered how he thought he could be threatening with a pompom on top of his head, but he obviously did. The attempt failed though. "The three of us are part of Buggy the Clown's pirate crew. This boat is ours now."

"I told you so," Assassin announced. "Don't stop paddling."

He took a step forward and danced between the three idiots, fists shooting out precisely and hitting them about the head and neck. All three were unconscious before they hit the deck, two seconds later.

"Do you have to kill everything?" Zoro complained, irritated that he now had to lug dead weight and all Assassin had to do was keep their course straight after the bird.

"Shut up, they're just unconscious," Assassin dismissed. "Like I'd waste my time with this kind of trash. Just focus on getting us to shore. Luffy isn't too far ahead of us yet."

"You could have made them paddle instead," Zoro grouched.

"What? And waste time?" Assassin asked idly. "There's no way they're as fast as you and I figured the big tough swordsman could handle it. You ever heard of that Buggy guy they mentioned?"

"Nope," Zoro replied.

"Huh, well whatever," Assassin shrugged. "All I know is he's worth fifteen million. That's a lot for East Blue, but I'm sure we can handle him."

"Scared?" Zoro asked.

Assassin gave him a supremely unimpressed look. "Not even remotely. Why, are you?" she added mischievously.

"Of course not!"

* * *

"That was one heck of an explosion," Zoro commented as the two of them finally made landfall. In the end, the bird had pulled ahead far enough that they couldn't see what had become of it, but Assassin assured him that Luffy was on this island so Zoro had no choice but to take his word for it. Whatever that was worth.

"No kidding. This town doesn't seem the type to keep spare ordnance around. I wonder what happened," Assassin marveled. "You think the captain's that way?"

"Knowing Luffy, yeah," Zoro agreed. "He'll be right in the middle of it."

"So he's that kind of guy, huh? Well alright," Assassin shrugged. "Now I guess we just follow the trail of destruction towards the sounds of celebration, right?"

"Sounds about right," Zoro confirmed.

"Think I should tie these idiots up or is it just not worth bothering?"

"Nah, they're weaklings anyway."

"True."

* * *

Luffy was in a cage. Luffy was _tied up_ in a cage. And there was a cannon pointed at him. And people were chanting 'Fire!' repeatedly. How had this idiot gotten into that kind of situation that quickly? He was still within sight only a few minutes ago.

"At least the girl is trying to help," Assassin pointed out mildly. "Oh, she's about to get stabbed. Do you want this or shall I-?" Zoro had already leapt into action. He stopped all four of the attacking pirates simultaneously by hitting them in the face with his sheathed swords. "Never mind then. I'll just wait here, shall I?" Assassin muttered petulant. "Jerk."

"Hey now," Zoro reprimanded Buggy's crew members snarkily, "It's not very nice of you guys to gang up on the poor girl."

"Zoro!" Luffy cheered, happy to see his first mate had managed to catch up to him so quickly.

"You hurt?" Zoro asked the girl. She didn't respond more than a small 'eh?' of confusion. "I said, are you hurt?"

"She's fine," Assassin observed. "Just some small burns on her hands but I'll treat that later.

"So you're Zoro, the pirate hunter," Buggy observed, "If you're here for my head you've got quite the struggle ahead of you."

"Not interested," Zoro dismissed. "I'm just here for my friend."

"But _I'm_ interested," Buggy insisted. "Killing you will bolster my reputation!"

"I'm just gonna go ahead and assume you've got this?" Assassin asked, walking over to perch daintily on top of Luffy's cage, much to the captain's protest. "He's not worth much, just fifteen million."

"If you try anything, you'll die," Zoro warned, but Buggy didn't back down. The showdown wasn't worth mentioning. It wasn't worth acknowledging as a showdown. Zoro just cut the clown into three pieces and let him drop. "That wasn't much of a fight, was it?"

Assassin snorted. Of course it wasn't much of a fight. This was East Blue. There wasn't much of anyone to fight here worth the effort. Assassin wouldn't be surprised if Zoro were the strongest swordsman in the entire sea, now that her mother and teacher was dead. But he hadn't seen the big bad world yet. He didn't understand. The man was practically oozing potential out of his ears but it was utterly unrealized. Someone like that shouldn't stay in such a weak sea. It was a complete waste not to have Zoro on the Grand Line already. Assassin wanted to see how far he could go. She wanted to fight him too, but that was impossible. At least, she couldn't duel him properly. Not until she had her blade back.

But he had to be alive when that day came in order for that to happen and not knifed in the back by some idiot with a Devil Fruit and a red nose. She threw a shuriken at the hand as it moved to stab Zoro. Buggy dropped the blade but scoffed, putting his hand back together.

"Sorry girlie, but blades don't work on me," he laughed, reassembling his hand easily and snapping it back onto his wrist.

"Sorry buddy, but I'm guessing that contact poisons do," Assassin shrugged.

"What?!" Buggy panicked. "What did you do to me you bastard!?"

"As we speak, Obecalp is being absorbed through the outer epidermis, entering the bloodstream and contaminating it," Assassin smirked darkly at the annoying clown who tried to kill her friend. "When it reaches your heart, you will experience symptoms of heightened senses, tightness in the chest or limbs, wobbly legs, and, eventually, _death_. Most people don't even notice they've been infected until it's too late."

"AAGGHH!" Buggy panicked. "Give me the antidote!"

"There is none," Assassin told him.

"You stole my fight," Zoro complained.

"Zoro, sweetheart," he replied dryly, "you slice things. It's what you do And he can't be cut. Also, he was going to stab you _in the back_ like a coward."

"Doesn't mean you had to kill him," Zoro grouched stubbornly, refusing to feel properly grateful.

"Still though, if I'm going to die," Buggy murmured before looking up with a slightly crazed gleam in his eyes, "I may as well take you for with me!"

"I figured you'd be okay with it after I saw you cut him into multiple pieces," Assassin dismissed, completely ignoring the homicidal clown gunning for them. "And you're _welcome_ , by the way, for saving you from that knife. Marks on the back are a swordsman's shame after all."

"And you'd know all about a swordsman's shame, wouldn't you?" Zoro glared, some part of him smirking in satisfaction at the smaller man's poorly hidden flinch.

"Will you two snap out of it and stop arguing like a married couple?! We're still surrounded!" the orange haired girl panicked. "You three better have a really good plan or else we're all dead! So what are you gonna do?!"

Luffy smiled, a hint of mischief in his eyes and the smallest grain of smugness, communicating with his eyes alone.

Assassin chuckled deeply. "That's not a bad plan," he conceded.

Zoro's expression twisted into a smirk. "I gotcha," he agreed.

For normal people, it would take years to reach that level of communication and mutual understanding. The three of them had known each other for less than a full day and already they had a deeper perception of each other's meaning than most managed over the course of a lifetime. The trust may not be there yet, but that didn't stop them from being similar. Men of action tended to rely less on words than normal people anyway. They were doers by nature. They knew what needed doing.

Buggy leapt towards Zoro, shouting something incoherent about 'flashy', 'die', 'Gyahahaha!' and having nothing to lose but was immediately intercepted by Assassin's bladed tonfas with a ring of metal on metal. "Sorry," she said, "but Zoro's busy at the moment so you'll have to deal with me instead." She held him off, not bothering to attack. Assassin saw no point in killing a weakling like this. Besides, she wanted to see his face when that cannon went off.

"Assassin, move!" Zoro ordered as the girl lit the fuse.

"One second," she agreed, kicking Buggy between the legs and leaping up and backwards, landing daintily on the cannon just before it went off, balanced on one foot.

"Wait!" Buggy pleaded, "Just wait! I don't want to go out like this!"

"You can wait for the poison to kick in," Assassin offered. Then the cannon fired, sparring them his reaction. "Let's get out of here."

Zoro lifted Luffy's cage up over one shoulder.

"You want a hand with that?" Assassin offered. "I can make it easier. Like, _way_ easier."

"No," Zoro grunted, "I've got him." He still strained slightly form the weight as he took a step forward but Assassin just shrugged, he knew better than to offer again. Manly pride and all that.

"I guess even a lowly pirate can still help a friend," the orange haired girl murmured to herself.

"Sweetheart, you got no idea," Assassin agreed, tossing an arm over the girl's shoulder. "Now let's get out of here before some of those idiots wake up and we have to deal with them."

"Get off of me you damn flirt!" she ordered, whipping out her bo staff threateningly.

Assassin just chuckled and backed off. "As her ladyship demands," he conceded.

* * *

Assassin gasped. "Doggie!" and in a blink he knelt, playing with the animal and petting it, cuddling it to her chest and offering it some jerky from her pocket. Zoro wondered why the dog was willing to put up with him. It was probably the jerky.

"Hey! I want food too! Gimme some!" Luffy whined.

"Hah," Assassin scoffed. "You have to be a hundred times cuter before you can wheezle food out of me."

"At least let me pet the doggie," Luffy complained, hand reaching out to pat it on the head. The dog leapt out of Assassin's lap and bit Luffy in the face, clamping down tightly. Assassin laughed.

Zoro just stared. Seriously, the things their captain got into. "Luffy!" he shouted, "Please quit fooling around and get serious!"

"It's fine," Assassin shrugged. "There's no need to be serious now."

"Oh, hi navigator," Luffy greeted. Assassin smiled. If this Nami girl was joining the crew that would be nice. They didn't have enough girls hanging around anyway. And she seemed like the good sort anyway, giving them the key like that to settle her debt. Even Zoro seemed to give her a modicum of approval after that.

And then the dog swallowed the key. There was a heartbeat of silence.

"He could choke!" Assassin panicked, rushing to the dog's side and batting Luffy's hands away when the Rubberman attempted to strangle the dog.

"Sort out your priorities!" Zoro shouted at him.

"Do you _still_ not want my help with the cage?" Assassin asked him, lifting an eyebrow.

"Eh? Okay, sure," Luffy said, agreeing amiably.

"Thank you," Assassin acknowledged, turning around and whipping out some lock picks and setting to work.

Nami's eyes lit up. As a thief, complicated locks were a constant thorn in her side. She could get around some of them, but her lock picking set wasn't _nearly_ as good as that one. If she could just get her hand on it…

"Don't even think about it, girlie," Assassin threatened without even turning to look at her. "These are high quality lockpicks, yes, but they're _mine_. I'm an assassin so I carry a wide variety of poisons with me at all times. You don't want to stick your greedy little fingers in the wrong pocket by mistake."

Nami gulped and took a half-step back. That guy was wicked scary all of a sudden, the complete opposite of when he carelessly put an arm over her shoulder. She couldn't forget that she was dealing with pirates. Any one of them could kill her at any moment and she couldn't let her guard down for a second.

The cage was open a second later, much to Luffy's delight.

"Hey, you kids! What are you doing to Shu Shu?!"

"Is he dressed in a barrel?" Assassin blinked. "Nevermind. I'm Assassin, and these are Luffy, Zoro and Nami. As for Shu Shu, he's just being a big cuddlelump, aren't you, you little sweetheart? Yes you are, yes you are!"

"And who might you be old man?" Zoro asked.

"I'm the Mayor of this town, and I must say I'm surprised," he said, "Shu shu doesn't like strangers usually." And he told them the story of how the dog hadn't left the store since his master's death.

"Don't tell me he's been waiting for his master to return all this time?" Nami asked, concerned for the animal, even if it had bitten Luffy's face.

"No, Shu Shu knows his master is dead," Assassin disagreed, absorbed in petting the dog and cuddling him close. "He's mourning, but he's a brave little guy. He understands. He's guarding his master's legacy, aren't you boy?"

Shu Shu just barked neutrally.

"So the store is his treasure?" Luffy asked.

"Exactly that," said the Mayor. "How did you know that, A- hey wait a minute, did you say your _name_ was Assassin?"

"Well, yeah," the androgynous youth replied. "Some people just call me Sin though, since it's shorter and doesn't have quite so many 'S'es all over the place. As for how I knew, well, I'm just good with animals and he must have been sitting there for a reason, right?"

"Wait, so you got all that because of a dog sitting? That's a bit silly, don't you think?" Zoro asked.

Assassin's face hardened. "I don't care if you mock every word that comes out of my mouth, Zoro," he began firmly, "but you should never mock someone else's resolve, not even a dog's. Not even if you disagree with everything they stand for. It isn't silly and everyone and everything had a _reason_ , no matter how small, for every action they take, no matter the case or what it looks like to outsiders." Assassin stood stiffly, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go check on the boat and make sure those three idiots from before haven't woken up and done anything to it." He stalked off swiftly towards the docks.

It wasn't until then that Zoro noticed that Assassin still had a slight limp from being pinned under that stone statue the other day. He tched and turned away.

"Zoro," Luffy said using his captain voice for the first time since Zoro had met him. He was slightly taken off guard but respected the fact that his captain could be serious at times, even if he often wasn't. "Why don't you like Assassin?"

Zoro considered his answer. "Because he's dangerous," he replied.

"Not do us," Luffy disagreed. "We've got a deal. You made a deal too before you joined this crew, when I got your swords back for you. You honored it."

"Yes, captain," Zoro conceded. "It's just that… a swordsman without his sword who carries an empty sheath… it does not say good things about a person."

"Tch," the sound came from the rooftop of the pet store, making all the humans turn to look while Shu Shu continued chewing happily on the food the Mayor had offered. Assassin was crouched on the rooftop. "So you don't trust me because I'm a Bladeless? Because of what someone else had done to me? Because I think my mother and teacher deserves to rest at peace in the afterlife?" He hopped off the roof and landed on his good foot without even a wobble. "Luffy-san, I think it's best if Zoro-san and I… go sort things out between ourselves. Do you mind if I borrow your first mate?"

"Ah? Sure! See if you can find me any food while you're out!" Luffy shouted, just happy his nakama were trying to get along and allowing his 'Captain' persona to vanish.

Assassin nodded to the Rubberman and walked past Zoro without saying a word. The swordsman followed her after raising an eyebrow at Luffy and receiving a steadfast smile in return.

The second they were out of earshot Nami frantically demanded, "Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, they look like they hate each other, what if they try to kill each other?"

"Eh? But they're just trying to find food, that wouldn't help," Luffy wondered, confused.

Nami slapped herself in the forehead. What else should she expect from pirates?

* * *

"Right now, you only see me as an empty sheath and the stigma that carries. Zoro-san, you see a Bladeless but not the reasons behind it," Assassin noted, entering a building and going through the cupboards, checking for food. Apparently most people had brought their food with them when they fled the invading Buggy Pirates. What a pain. There wouldn't be much to take back to Luffy this way. "I'm not about to stop carrying it, so I'll ask if you can stop seeing it, or at least see me behind it."

"You want me to be blunt?" Zoro asks, hands resting on his swords reflexively not because he planned to draw them but because he had always felt more at peace with a blade in his hand.

"I'd prefer it," Assassin confessed plainly, still sifting through the shelves for something the evacuees may have missed that hadn't gone bad yet.

"Fine," Zoro said. "Your name is Assassin. Why would anyone call you that of all things?"

"Family tradition," she shrugged, "My mother's name was Mercenary, people called her Mercy. Her father's name was Hunter. His wife's name was Murderer, we called her Dearie. So on and so forth." She sensed the pirate hunter about to interrupt her and lifted a hand so he would let her speak. "And yes, I have killed people. And I don't have the smallest shred of regret about it. Their names would mean nothing to you though, even if I did share them."

Zoro conceded that she was probably right with that last point. "And who were these people to you?"

A shadow settled over his eyes. Suddenly, Assassin looked haunted, no, he looked physically ill. He literally went pale and his hand shook for a moment before he leaned against the counter with what was obviously false carelessness and stuffed his hands in his pockets, shoulders stiff. "Monsters," he affirmed darkly. "Monsters without equal to be matched. Some of the monster's dogs. One or two Marines. A few bounty hunters. No civilians." Assassin swallowed dryly. "You?"

"Some of my bounties," he shrugged, "but their price drops if you bring 'em in dead so not a lot of them."

"So no civilians?" Assassin asked.

"Of course not!" Zoro shouted, taking a step or two forward angrily. "I wouldn't sink to that!"

Assassin smiled at that. "And you assume that I would," she laughed to herself bitterly. "I guess I'll just have to get used to it until I get my blade back, won't I? Everyone will see me that way." He took a fortifying breath, squaring her shoulders and standing away from the counter. "That's fine. I can take it. And I can hardly blame you for it. That being said, somehow I don't think that you're going to trust me until after I've proven myself, will you? You may stop seeing me as a threat after this conversation, but you still won't trust me. That's okay though. I can do that. Let's head back to your captain, mister first mate. I can hear something new in that direction."

There was a distant roar of some sort of large beast. Both pirate and passenger just turned to look at each other. Assassin shrugged. Zoro sighed. "That was a lion, wasn't it?" he asked rhetorically. "When did Luffy find a lion?"

Out in the distance they could hear Luffy winding up for a hit, "Gum Gum~!"

"AAH! THE KITTY'S IN TROUBLE!" Assassin shouted, sprinting towards the disturbance so fast Zoro swore he blurred for a second. With his bum ankle that was an impressive ability to haul ass. Zoro certainly couldn't move that fast. He was built for strength, not speed. Even so…

"That guy might not be so bad, but he's still completely crazy."

* * *

Case in point: by the time Zoro got back to the pet food store, walking at a calm, sedate pace and trusting his captain and that crazy ninja to take care of themselves, Mayor Boodle had acquired a new pet, the store had been compensated for a lion's fill worth of food, Assassin had viciously and mercilessly beaten a white haired furry to _near-_ unconscious and trapped him in Luffy's cage while lecturing him on proper care and feeding of pets, and Nami's jaw had managed to extend all the way down to the floor in shock. Luffy was laughing. Mayor Boodle seemed bemused and had obviously decided to temporarily disable his common sense due to shock but otherwise seemed okay with his new pet lion, Richie.

Zoro took a moment to examine just _how_ his life and managed to lead him to _this_. He then shrugged and embraced it completely. Weird stuff happened to interesting people. The best of anything was always interesting, and the best swordsman in the world especially so. Weird stuff was only to be expected. He was going to be the best, if weird was the price he had to pay then so be it. Zoro could handle weird.

Nami suddenly regained the use of her senses and decided to shatter everyone's eardrums now that she managed to pick her jaw up off the floor. "WHAT TYPE OF MONSTER ARE YOU?! THAT WASN'T SOMETHING A HUMAN BEING CAN DO! ARE YOU SOME KIND OF FREAK?!"

Assassin's countenance darkened. "Do not use the word freak, or any variation thereof in my presence. Luffy is not a freak. It's just a Devil Fruit. It's perfectly normal." Nobody felt the need to acknowledge the shadows cast over Assassin's eyes either because they were too scared, they didn't consider it important or were simply too oblivious to notice.

"I ate the Gum Gum Fruit," Luffy reported happily, pausing his his laughter. "I'm a Rubberman!"

"So you can't swim?" Assassin confirmed, previous mood vanishing as quickly as it came.

"That's right," Luffy nodded, hand on his hat subconsciously. Assassin smiled slightly at that, an almost fond expression on his face.

"Well don't expect me to save you. I can't swim either," he confesses shrugging. "Our lives are in your hands, Zoro-san."

"Wait so, does that mean you have a Devil Fruit too?!" Mayor Boodle asked.

"Oh I didn't say that, but I guess I did leave you with that impression, didn't I?" Assassin smiled his most friendly, trustworthy smile, tilting his head to the side happily. "If you feel better, I promise to do my best not to fall in, Zoro-san."

Zoro nodded, but made no promises to save the shorter boy if he did fall. Assassin didn't expect any. After they'd fought together. Then things would change. But not until then. Swordsmen were notoriously stubborn after all.


	4. Defeat of Buggy the Clown

Assassin was seriously impressed with the Mayor. He was pretty fired up for an old guy, and over a town that was so young, only forty years old. There wasn't that much history here, no ancient rights or deeper sacred meaning, yet he cared so deeply. Well, everyone had their own treasure to value. If this town was the Mayor's treasure then that was fine. She could respect that.

Naturally, and of course, that was the instant in which a Buggy Ball tore through a swath of the buildings, leveling them and leaving another trail of destruction in its wake. _Well, there goes the neighborhood,_ Assassin noted. _And there goes the Mayor_. He was crying. Assassin understood. It was easier to be angry than it was to be sad. However, anger leads to stupid decisions, like charging Buggy alone when you're clearly too old for that sort of thing. So of course the two pirates and their passenger had to go too.

"Is there even much point to all this, since Buggy is going to die from your poison anyway?" Zoro asked Assassin. Not that he was complaining, he loved fighting, he just didn't get _why_ they were doing it. Violence for the sake of violence didn't sit well with him.

"Oh, he's not poisoned," Assassin dismissed lightly. "The obecalp I claimed I dosed him with is just 'placebo' spelt backwards. He only _thinks_ he's poisoned, so the adrenaline in his system is being misread by his brain as signs of poison and that just releases more adrenaline and freaks him out even worse. All I really did was scare him shitless. He's not dying, he's not even hurt. I just like fucking with people." Zoro was starting to think that he'd seriously underestimated their passenger.

"Hey, Nami, come with us!" Luffy ordered, though it sounded like a request.

"I will never be a pirate!" Nami denied violently. "But," she continued, "I guess we can work together for a common goal, temporarily."

"Can we just go now?" Assassin asked. "This whole 'inaction' thing grates on my nerves."

* * *

Buggy didn't know what real treasure was. He was already an idiot, but not he was the insufferable kind of idiot who shoved his idiocy up your nose and expected you to admit he was right. He wasn't. _Treasure being nothing more than gold or jewels?_ Assassin had to hold back a snort. _As if_. Assassin could almost see the greed rolling off of the fool in waves and it made her sick to her stomach. _Wanting all the wrong things. What a pitiful existence._ Not that there would be much pity or mercy involved when dealing with him.

"Look, I'm only here for the chart and the treasure, got it?" Nami clarified. "After this you boys and I are going our separate ways."

"Yeah, okay," Zoro acknowledged.

"I don't believe you, but I've got it," Assassin agreed.

"Shut up Sin," Nami ordered. Assassin was secretly utterly delighted to hear that nickname again but refused to show it on his face. It had been quite some time since he had last heard from his bro after all. Not since he went to South Blue anyway, and that was a few years back now.

The Mayor drew breath to shout. Quick as a flash, Assassin shot forward and nicked him in the neck with a needle. The old man collapsed instantly, limbs turned to jelly but still conscious. "Sorry old timer," Assassin murmured in his ear, "Can't have a geezer like you fighting like this. Just entrust this fight to us, alright? We're all spry and youthful and we can take it. And don't worry, the poison's only temporary and I have an antidote if you need help fighting it off. You just hang tight and watch, okay?" Having dragged him off to the side and propped Mayor Boodle up against a nearby wall, Assassin turned to the young pirate captain. "So how are we getting him down here?" she asked.

"HEY, BIG NOSE!" Luffy shouted at the top of his lungs.

"That'll work," she noted. It also got a Buggy Ball thrown at them. Assassin's tonfa were out and she prepared to redirect it that way, since she lacked her real blade, but it turned out to be unnecessary. She still had to dive to the ground though to avoid Luffy's expanding stomach as it ballooned out to deflect the specialized cannon ball. It would obviously take everyone a little getting used to before they could work around Luffy's Devil Fruit efficiently, but until then, they were in East Blue. They could handle this much. The Buggy Pirates however, couldn't handle one of their own cannonballs. At all. The building went down and almost everyone else went down with it. Almost. There were still some left over to fight but only a few.

"I take it you want the swordsman?" Assassin guessed, looking to Zoro.

"Yep," he agreed, putting Wado Ichimonji in his mouth and preparing to fight.

"As a swordsman myself I must say I'm honored," Cabaji, Buggy's chief of staff announced imperiously. He then proceeded to prove exactly how much he really _wasn't_ a swordsman so much as someone who flung spinning tops at people and waved a sword at them. Zoro was not impressed. His fight didn't take very long.

Meanwhile, Nami went after the loot and Assassin putzed around, taking out the few foolish crewmembers who had managed to escape the blast and thought they could fake unconscious while keeping a running commentary of events. Needless to say she didn't get much of a workout either, not that she was complaining. Assassin wasn't up for a _real_ fight so soon after being shot and having a sprained ankle. Even so, this was pathetic. Assassin knew that East Blue didn't measure up to the Grand Line but still, she was used to fighting people like her mother. This was a step down in comparison.

Damn. Assassin had made it nearly the whole day without thinking of her mother. Her sensei. She closed her eyes for a moment and focused on the sounds around her, the battle and yelling and general chaos of the fight. The people's voices. Assassin focused on the here and now before opening her eyes. Mourning a Bladeless was forbidden, and that was how her mother had died. She'd just have to hold out until it was okay to cry, though that might be a depressingly long time.

Luffy of course was busy fighting Buggy for the title of future Pirate King.

"If you're going to be the King then I'm God!" Buggy laughed. "There can be only one King of the Pirates!"

That was true. In the end, only one would make it all the way and claim the One Piece. But it was inevitable that there would be someone. It would happen eventually, probably in their lifetimes with the way things were headed. And everyone who ever became great had to start their path somewhere. The truly weird thing was… Assassin could see it. Luffy _could_ be the King, he could do it. And actually, he _would_ be perfect for it.

It was in that was the moment when Assassin made her decision. It was a silent pledge, seeing as she lacked the right to do more than that. Assassin pledged to follow Luffy until the end. Whether that meant the end of the journey, either of their lives or the end of the world and beyond, Assassin would follow Luffy. And she would see it. Monkey D Luffy was going to become history. And Assassin would be there to see it.

"That straw hat brings up memories of _him_ , and it's really pissing me off!" Buggy complained.

"Shanks? You knew Shanks?" Luffy realized, excited.

" _You_ knew Shanks?!" Assassin realized. "That _is_ his hat?! Why do you have the Shanks Hat?! Shanks _loves_ the Hat!" Luffy knowing Shanks was something Assassin understood. The kid must have been something special to catch the Yonko's attention during his 'vacation' to East Blue, but Buggy? How the hell did a loser like _Buggy_ know Shanks?

"Where is he?!" Luffy asked. "Do you know where he is?"

"Maybe I do and maybe I don't-" Buggy tried to be all mysterious but Assassin cut him off.

"That idiot doesn't know anything," Assassin dismissed harshly. "Shanks is back on the Grand Line, second half. He's a Yonko, one of the four most powerful pirates in the world, above even the shichibukai. Shanks is probably the coolest badass ever. I don't know how he's connected to this loser Buggy though," she confessed at the end.

Buggy swung wildly, trying to get at her with one of his projectile hands, armed with blades. Assassin didn't bother moving to intercept it or to dodge. Luffy caught the hand before it could come close to causing damage. It was Luffy's fight. Assassin wouldn't interfere.

"Did you see that?" one of the Buggy Pirates asked in an awed, terrified whisper.

"Just keep faking unconsciousness. If you get in the middle of that, you'll die," another replied fearfully.

"Yeah, he's right," Assassin agreed, suddenly standing with his feet planted firmly on each of their skulls.

"Shit," the two chorused before receiving the most humiliating one sided beating they would ever receive in their lives, though neither received any permanent injuries.

Assassin's concentration was broken when Luffy shouted out "YOU BASTARD!" at the top of his lungs.

Buggy had touched the Shanks Hat. "Buggy touched the Shanks Hat?! Can I help kill him?!" Assassin demanded, enraged. That was the _Shanks_ _Hat!_ It was practically a sacred relic as far as he was concerned and Buggy had _damaged it_ which was _unforgivable!_

"He's MINE!" Luffy demanded.

"If this hat means so much to you, you should protect it better!" Buggy laughed. Multiple blades bit through the straw. The world froze, both onlookers caught in their own memories. That hat meant so much.

* * *

" _Hey, little one, don't cry. You're safe now. Are you lost? Don't worry. I'll get you home."_

" _Do you promise? I can go home?"_

" _Tell you what, I promise on this hat. It's very important to me, but you can hold onto it until I keep my promise. How's that?"_

* * *

" _Didn't you say that you had a family waiting for you? You can't give up so quickly. Besides, I promised, right?"_

* * *

" _Oh thank you! Thank you! You saved my baby! You brought my little baby back to me! Thank you so much! Oh my baby, I swear I'm never going to leave you alone again!"_

* * *

The memories hurt like a physical thing. So much so that Assassin struggled to breath against the tightness in his chest. Oh, by everything sacred in this world it hurt so much. And the wound was so terribly fresh. Shanks's Hat was damaged for such a stupid reason too. Buggy was even more of an idiot than Assassin had originally been able to discern. And then he went after Nami with his Bara Bara Festival, for a little thing like stealing treasure. He never got there.

"You do not touch the temporary navigator of the crew I am indebted to!" Assassin roared furiously, whipping out a pair of nunchucks and dancing through Buggy's assorted body parts. "You do _not_ harm those under _my protection!_ "

The nunchucks flew everywhere. Buggy couldn't tell _where_ he was being hit in all that whirlwind of motion with how fast the strikes came and how convoluted his body was, but he knew it hurt. Luffy's fist connected with Buggy's face and it plowed out of the swarm of nunchuck fury and into a nearby wall, then part way through said wall.

"Your fight is with me!" he shouted.

Buggy attempted to reassemble himself so he could retaliate, but Nami snagged his main body parts so he ended up a midget without a torso or limbs. Luffy sent him flying… And Assassin intercepted him, a single dagger flashing through the air like lightning in one quick, fluid motion. Assassin landed on the rubble of what had once been Buggy's hideout on top of the bar's roof, smirking. In his hand was a sack, struggling and emitting muffled screaming as it wriggled in his hands.

Nami started in horror. "Why did you capture just Buggy's head?" She reminded herself that this wasn't just a pirate, this was a clearly insane ninja assassin pirate whose _nickname_ was _Sin!_ He was definitely not safe, no matter how friendly he may seem on the outside. Oh god, he flirted with her earlier. He flirted with her and her virtue was in danger!

"It's a trophy," Assassin stated proudly, displaying a toothy grin.

Nami couldn't meet his eyes, afraid of the bloodlust that she couldn't bear to see in them. "Well, I just got ten _million_ Bell!" she reminded herself, forcefully shrugging off her fear. Showing fear was like showing weakness and she had learned a long time ago to stop doing that. "Buggy may have been a creep, but he had really good taste in high quality treasure!" She hesitated. These men may be crazy, evil pirates, but they _had_ saved her, _again_ , and she couldn't allow herself to remain in their debt. He conscience couldn't live with it. So she gave them the chart of the Grand Line. Luffy was ecstatic. The other two were less impressed.

"What good does that do us?" Zoro asked.

"None of us can read it," Sin dismissed, callously crushing Luffy's joy. "It may as well just be a piece of scribbled on paper for all that it's worth to us as we are. We need someone who can read a sea chart properly."

"Nami, become our navigator!" Luffy demanded.

"I'm still not a pirate," Nami started, falling for the 'temporary' bait hook, line, and sinker, "but working with you three seems profitable enough." She decided, "It sounds like it might be in my best interests."

"I'm sure," Sin added in, voice mildly laced with suggestion, "that you would be free to leave by your own choice at any time, with whatever treasure of monetary value you deem to be your share at time of departure towards whatever destination you find most prudent."

"Ah, sure," Luffy nodded, "That's fine."

Nami beamed. She could milk these people dry and they even promised her free transportation to wherever she wanted to go when she left! Naturally it only made sense to agree.

"Great, can we go now?" Zoro asked. "There are no more swordsmen left to fight here, just a hoard of townsfolk."

"Ooh, here!" Assassin called out, tossing the sack containing Buggy's head at the nearest man, who dropped his pitchfork so he could catch it. Sin flinched visibly at the clatter it made hitting the ground. "That should pay to repair your town three times over," he admitted timidly, warning, "Just don't let him chew his way out." Assassin slowly grew more quiet and edged away from the group, hunching down like he was in front of a large predator that he didn't want to piss off. "This is an antidote for the mayor," he added, low to the ground now as everyone stared at him, confused by his behavior. "He got caught up in the crossfire." Suddenly the ninja whisked himself behind Zoro, just barely peeking out over the larger swordsman's shoulder. "I gotta go! Bye!"

The people stared at him and Assassin let out a high pitched whine in the back of his throat like a cornered animal, seemingly involuntarily, ducking lower behind the larger swordsman. "Well he's acting suspicious." "How are they alive?" "Who did this to the mayor?" "It must have been those filthy pirates!"

"Oh, that was us," Luffy volunteered.

The mob charged. "Just run already!" Assassin shouted, already making tracks and headed towards the shore at the head of the pack as the pirates fled. He was clearly scared of _something_ but Zoro had trouble believing it was a hoard of useless non combatants armed with pitchforks and shovels. They just weren't anything resembling a threat to someone even half of the pipsqueak's level.

"Turn here!" Luffy ordered, and all four of them immediately hung a hard right, leaping over Shu Shu and darting past Richie.

It could easily be heard when the mob reached the alleyway they passed through because the shouts of "AAGH! LION!" could be heard across the island. The pirates and their passenger just kept running, laughing their heads off.

When they reached the shore, they found the three idiots tied back to back, attempting to look threatening as they wobbled towards Nami. "You're the one that stole our ship!" "You'll pay for that!" "You don't stand a chance now that you have nowhere to run, you witch!"

Assassin was unimpressed. "Is that so?" he asked, on hand holding up an array of shuriken between her fingers, prepared to throw. All three idiots screamed and attempted to run away in different directions, eventually making their way towards the town. Sin just watched them go, snorting. "Maybe I should've just kicked them into the sea, save the world the risk of their genetic stupidity spreading via procreation," he muttered darkly.

"How come you're scarier than me?" Zoro asked. "I don't get it." He wasn't complaining, he wasn't that petty. He had plenty of time to make his name reach the heavens where Kuina could hear but he still felt it to be… odd not being the scariest guy around. It was an unexpected change and he wasn't quite sure how to react to it.

Sin shrugged. "They didn't even get the chance to recognize you. I'll bet if they knew who you were they'd have been more scared of you than me, but I'd already beaten them once so it wasn't needed," he dismissed. "You're just the big muscles. I'm the scary bitch from hell."

Zoro chucked as he helped untether the smaller raft that the three had taken to Orange Town. "Yeah you're a bitch alright, Pipsqueak," he agreed.

"Shut up you big lug," Assassin retorted automatically, scowling good-naturedly.

Nami glanced between the two monsterous fighters tensely. "Wait, why aren't you offended, Sin?" she demanded. "You two were at each other's throats earlier over… whatever that was about."

They just shared a glance. Zoro had seen Assassin fight. It wasn't much of a fight putting down the weaklings like that, but what he had seen meant that there was no problem here. Assassin had _inherited_ the disgrace of his Bladeless status, not caused it himself. That did not mean that _he_ was dishonorable. Actually, all it made him was a bleeding heart considering the lengths he was going through to ensure his teacher's proper burial and honor in death, familial relation or no. Assassin smirked at the older swordsman a little. Things had changed. Once you've fought with a person, it was hard not to consider them a comrade. While neither of them had bled together yet, they didn't need to. There would be plenty of time to fight and bleed beside each other later.

"Nah, I'm good," Assassin dismissed. "Right Zoro-san?"

"Yeah," the muscled marimo shrugged as he got comfortable in their raft and they pushed off from the shore alongside Nami's vessel, "We're good."

"Oh, and I brought some of the town's booze," Sin added, pulling out a few bottles seemingly out of nowhere. Really with clothes that tight it should have been impossible to hide them. Maybe it was part of his ninja training: stealthy booze theft. "They didn't have any cigarets though, which was a shame."

"You smoke?" Zoro asked.

Assassin just shrugged. "Sometimes, when I can. It's not an easy habit to maintain when you're as isolated as I usually am. Maybe I can pick some up soon. I miss a good cigar," he confessed, draining half his bottle in one go. Zoro nodded in understanding. Booze was good partially because Booze was everywhere, but you couldn't find cigars quite as easily, especially not in the kind of town that it looked like Assassin's used to live in. They both drank more.

"At least we finally have a navigator," Zoro pointed out.

"You think she knows it yet?" Assassin asked. They both shared a smirk. Nobody said 'no' to Luffy. Not forever. "We'll just call this her welcome toast,"

"Hey, by the way, why'd you freeze up back there?" Zoro asked. "You looked like the crowd was going to eat you or something." Zoro's question brought Assassin out of his nostalgia and caught the attention of the other two.

Assassin took a breath, shrugging but sinking lower in his seat as if embarrassed. "Sorry, I guess I should have warned you guys," he admitted, hand ruffling the hair on the back of his neck and making it stick up funny. "I'm not good with large groups or intense strangers. When I'm fighting, that's one thing. I know that I'm about to kick all their asses so it doesn't fucking matter. It's just… when I'm surrounded like that it feels like they're all watching me, then they're just too close and it gets hard to breathe. I can even get panic attacks sometimes." Assassin wouldn't make eye contact with any of them, sinking even lower in his seat and obviously hating the discussion he was having with them. He knew that they weren't really panic attacks but flashbacks but the rest of the crew didn't need to know that. Assassin didn't trust them with that just yet. "It helps if I cover my face or if I can stand behind someone I trust, use them as a barrier. It's always worst when I'm alone. Being alone… is the most painful feeling in the world."

Oops. That was way more honesty than Sin had intended to give them.

Luffy just smiled. "That's why you've got us!" he cheered. He didn't say what he was really thinking out loud. Assassin's eyes were like Ace's used to be. They were full of hatred and bitterness for a world that had hated them first. Luffy didn't care why or how his (future) nakama had come to have eyes like that, he just knew that he'd have to fix them. He was the captain for a reason. Smiling made people happy and he did it a lot, but that didn't mean he walked through life with his eyes closed. After the sort of childhood he'd had, Luffy couldn't help but know some thing that most adults didn't. He knew pain and suffering, but he also knew family and camaraderie. Luffy knew what Sin needed. His crew would look after their own, whether she was still just a passenger or not.

Zoro wasn't the mushy kind of guy, but he subtly moved one hand to his swords and nodded slightly, making eye contact with Sin in a silent promise, full of threat for whoever would try to hurt the ninja under his protection. Zoro knew perfectly well that that sort of fear didn't come from nowhere, and in a person like Assassin, filled with so much pride, showing that kind of fear must be difficult and embarrassing. He would help her through it.

Nami's mind was making all sorts of guesses as to how a person could have come to a conclusion like that but was thankfully tactful enough not to ask after Sin had just inadvertently beared part of his soul to them, scary ninja assassin pirate that he was. "If you ever need a breather, you can always just say you need to check on the ship," she offered kindly but without pity. Nami knew enough of being alone not to show or even feel much in the way of pity. Compassion or sympathy maybe, but not pity. "That way you can avoid whatever's setting you off."

Assassin blushed bright red under the eyes of his three nakama and turned out to sea, muttering an embarrassed, "Thanks," under his breath and draining the last of his booze.

"On another note," Nami said, lifting up what had been in her lap, "I'm done repairing this, here." Nami plopped Luffy's hat back onto his head. Immediately it was snatched off so that both Luffy and Assassin could inspect it carefully before it was deemed safe and put back on. "You never said why it was so important to you," Nami noted curiously.

"It's Shanks's hat. I made him a promise that I'd be Pirate King," Luffy announced proudly.

Assassin's eyes widened slightly. "Now of course you've really gotta. You can't break a promise on the Shanks Hat," she told him. "You _need_ to be the King."

"Okay so what's your story?" Nami asked.

Assassin stiffened slightly, hand going to the empty scabbard at her back. "Nothing. I just won't ever be able to pay him back fully is all. Shanks made me a promise on that hat and he kept it," she dismissed woodenly, apparently appearing casual enough to fool Nami.

"What kind of promise?" Nami persisted.

"You don't have to answer," Luffy cut in. Zoro's knee moved slightly so he was touching Assassin slightly in a silent show of support.

"No, it's fine," Assassin shrugged. "It's just that I got… really lost and Shanks helped me find my way home is all."

"You must be really shitty with directions then," Zoro mocked, changing the subject.

"I don't want to hear that from you. I had to redirect you four times on the way to find Luffy in that stupid cage. It's like you can't walk in a straight line. Oh, by the way," Assassin asked, nudging him in thanks before pulling away, "what's our next destination?"

"The Grand Line!" Luffy shouted. He got hit over the head.

Nami raged, "We cannot possibly go to the Grand Line like this!"

"Yeah, we need more meat," Luffy whined. "Eating fruit all day is for the birds."

"And booze," Zoro seconded.

"Not to mention a cook, a doctor, a real ship and a shipwright - in that order," Sin added, actually being helpful, somewhat. "This is a boat. Not a ship. We need a ship. Boats aren't good enough. Ships are better."

"Oh! And a musician!" Luffy added enthusiastically. "Everyone needs a musician!"

"I guess… I can sorta sing if I have to," Sin offered. "A little bit. Sorta. I'm not very good… Stop looking at me like that. It's not that weird."


	5. So This is Syrup Viliage

Upon reaching shore, Zoro jumped out of the boat and stretched languidly. Assassin took note of the way his muscles moved over each other and approved of the swordsman's dedication to his art, as unrefined as he was. The two more experienced fighters sensed it first. They were being watched. Zoro was about to warn their companions, noticing the stiffness of Assassin's shoulders to indicate his awareness, when the albino spoke first, and angrily at that.

"Show yourselves," he ordered darkly.

Projectiles flew from the bushes towards their feet, making Luffy dance out of their way, Nami panic and Zoro put a hand on his blades, recognizing the warning shot for what it was and unwilling to escalate the situation. Assassin felt no such reluctance as he dashed forward and up the cliff face as easily as running across even ground and launched into an offensive pose. His dagger was under their observer's nose, applying pressure ever so lightly, drawing blood. Assassin paused. The would be attacker stared, awed and afraid, planted firmly on his rump with a blade nearly up his nose. Assassin started back, face unchanging.

"So we have this guy…" he announced, "and three children."

"AAGH! SHE KNOWS!" the kids chorused, panicking and running away.

"Make that just this guy," he corrected himself, internally cringing at how much he scared those kids. Kids were cute. This guy was not cute. This amount of opposition, it didn't even count as a militia. Just some kids goofing off. And the one he had subdued, his face was full of terror but no recognition. That being said… "Um, Luffy-san?" Assassin asked, "He may not have been aiming to kill… but those projectiles were as fast as any bullet. He practically held up a gun against you." Guns were only used with the intent to kill. Nothing less than that. Luffy must certainly understand that, being the captain, however young and inexperienced he was.

"Guns aren't for threats they're for actions," Luffy said darkly, apparently recognizing the seriousness of the situation. "Are you willing to bet your life?"

"I assure you, the men who stand before you are real pirates," Zoro announced, a smirk poorly hidden in his voice, "Consider your next move carefully."

Their attacker made a valiant effort to maintain his bravado but Assassin watched with distanced curiosity as it wavered under his stare and died. "Ah, it's just no use. Real pirates are just too scary, I can't match up," he complained, collapsing in on himself.

Luffy and Zoro laughed which Assassin took as his cue to drop the dagger to a less offensive position, though he had yet to stow it away. "I stole that from Shanks!" Luffy laughed, telling him the story of how Shanks had visited his village when he was young with his sharpshooter, Yassop, Usopp's father.

"I knew Yassop too," Assassin nodded, finally sheathing her blade and dropping her guard completely. "He didn't have a nose like yours though. I wouldn't have reacted so hostilely if it hadn't reminded me of someone," he confessed, still not quite apologizing as he absently put a hand over the now-healed bullet wound in his shoulder. "Good guy, your dad. He always said that when the pirate flag beckons you must heed its call."

"Yeah! And he stuck a juice mug on my head!" Luffy accused angrily before doing a full turnaround in attitude. "Hey, do you have any food?"

* * *

Assassin considered Usopp carefully. He was a very bad liar, too easily scared and with tells that were far too obvious and lies far too outrageous for any serious observer to fall for. Usopp may not be holding a grudge for having a blade basically stuck up his nose, but he was still pretty scared of Assassin, especially after learning her name. The offer of being called by the more friendly nickname of 'Sin' hadn't helped soothe his fears apparently. Zoro scowled in annoyance that she was once again more fear inspiring than he was, his competitive streak acting up, which amused Nami deeply.

Luffy's reaction to Usopp though… that boy was doomed to become their nakama, one way or another. He was just as destined as Nami and Sin herself were. They were all equally fated to, inevitably, join his crew in official capacity somehow and had been since Luffy had first laid eyes on them. Nami once she was over her trust issues, Usopp whenever he signed up and Sin once she eventually got her job done. It slightly depressed her that she had met the crew first of the three of them and would, in all likelihood, be the last to join officially. She already wanted to call them nakama and that longing would, in all probability, only get worse as time went on. It had barely even been a few days.

Luffy told Usopp stories of his father while Assassin listened quietly. She didn't say much of anything and had pulled the collar of her vest up so that it covered the lower half of her face completely, hiding her nose, lips and jawline without concealing the distinctive features of her white hair and red eyes. She had pulled the mask up as soon as they entered the small village, nervous of all the people around them and the attention they were garnering.

Zoro noticed that Sin wasn't eating and nudged her. She looked up at him, oblivious and not understanding his unsubtle glare. "Eat," he ordered simply, nudging the plate that she had yet to touch, though had admittedly defended from Luffy with valiant effort and a surprising margin of success out of habit.

Assassin was glad that the mask covered her blush but nodded and turned her attention from the stories to her food. She didn't feel the slightest spark of hunger, but she was more than aware that she had not eaten properly in recent days by living off apples, after having been injured and that her body needed fuel in order to perform as she wanted it to. Even if the thought of food was unappealing to her at the moment, Sin silently remonstrated herself into finishing off the plate, not really tasting anything and frustrated with herself for her inattentiveness. Assassin knew of course that appetite was one of the things easily affected by grief and had forgotten to monitor herself for it. Sleeping would likely be an issue too, considering the fact that she had stridently avoided it so far.

"Hey, we still need a ship, do you think anyone in that mansion could help us out?" Nami wondered idly.

"You stay away from there!" Usopp ordered harshly, startling Sin out of her reprieve and instantly cowing under the sleight glare she gave him before making what was probably the most awkward exit she had ever seen.

Almost immediately after he left, the three kids from earlier burst in announcing proudly that the "Usopp Pirates are here!" with their wooden swords and obvious posturing. They seemed to be drawing conclusions about Luffy, the meat and their captain's absence. Zoro couldn't help but take advantage of it. Besides, he was scary too dammit. Assassin wasn't that scary. Especially considering that after the three pirate wannabes had collapsed, she'd stuffed candy into each of their hands for them to eat when they woke up.

"Can I have some too?" Luffy asked hopefully.

He got smacked in the shoulder for his efforts. "No." Sin stated frankly and firmly with absolute finality, "You are still not cute enough and you never will be."

* * *

The mansion was pretty big considering that this was East Blue. There were more impressive locations, sure, but those were either cities or government building which should be discounted. Luffy was certainly impressed, not that that was saying much about the building. It was unlikely that Luffy had very high standards.

Assassin, having listened the the three vegetables' story about the Lady Kaya, frowned to himself. Sure, telling stories to Kaya may be helping, and was doubtless the only thing that was keeping her from falling further into depression after her parents' deaths, but it wasn't enough to get her back on her feet. Sin resolved to mention this to Usopp in regards to the Lady Kaya seeing as he obviously had the sick girl's best interests at heart here.

But that was not why they came. They came to intrude rudely and ask for a ship. Shouldn't be too hard. Especially considering Luffy has just invented the "Gum Gum Pardon the Intrusion!" and rocketed himself, his crew and the kids over the wall. Assassin just watched them fly, blinked at the height they reached, and then leapt into action, over the fence. Mid-air he caught all three children rightside up. Landing, he had them curled under his chin, arms around their middles and backs clutched close to his chest. Assassin checked them for injuries. "I have saved the little ones!" Sin cheered happily.

"Sin!" Nami barked angrily from the bush she'd landed in, "Why didn't you catch me too?! I could've died!"

"I had faith in you capability to get out of the situation unharmed, Nami-chan," Sin asserted earnestly. "I did not misplace it. You're perfectly fine." Nami did not admit that it had been sheer luck that landed her in the bush. Assassin knew that perfectly well but luck was also considered important to pirates so Assassin gave her the points anyway.

Zoro grumpily peeled himself out of the dented sidewalk on which he landed when he fell. Whether or not the spiderweb of cracks had been there before was in question. "Are you planning to put them down anytime soon, Pipsqueak?" he asked, gesturing to the kids.

Assassin put them down reluctantly and handing each of them candy. "In the future, don't try to stop a guy like Luffy-san," he scolded. "Not unless you're stronger than him." Each of the kids got candies again which kept them from answering aside for vigorous nods.

Zoro was just glad that the Pipsqueak hadn't been around to see how Helmeppo treated Rika back when he first joined the crew. Helmeppo might not have survived. Actually, now that he saw Sin checking each of the kids for injuries, he changed his mind. Helmeppo would _definitely_ not have survived. Not that that would've been much of a loss.

"Oh my, are you guys okay?" Kaya asked softly. Actually, everything about her looked soft. Her voice, her strength, her eyes, her hair. Kaya looked like one big softie, and Assassin instantly registered her as alarmingly naive. When and if that bandaid got ripped off, it was going to hurt like a bitch. Going through life with blinders on might be pleasant in the short term, but it did not lead to good things in the end. Ignorance may be bliss and the truth may hurt, but lies are ugly things, especially the ones we tell to ourselves.

"Don't worry about them, Kaya," Usopp assured her falsely. "They just wanted to join the Usopp Pirates!"

"Like hell," Sin cut in darkly, making Usopp yelp. Assassin was not joining _any_ crew. He needed his sword back, and then he was joining _Luffy's_ crew. So was Usopp actually, but still. Usopp did not have the right to make decisions for him and the assumption that he did was unwelcome.

"Actually, we wanted to ask you a favor," Luffy explained. "I was wondering if there was anyway you could help us get a boat."

" _Ship!_ " Assassin corrected instantly, "He meant ship! Not a boat, we've had enough boats. We need a ship!"

"You there," a new voice cut in, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Does he have golden embroidered poops on his jacket?" Assassin wondered. Seriously, what's with these people? Nobody seemed to notice his comment on the local fashions.

"Get out, this is criminal trespassing," the man ordered. Assassin just shrugged. They were pirates (and a passenger) so they pretty much didn't care much about what was deemed 'criminal'. That sort of thing just came with the territory. Assassin especially was a criminal, considering his Bladeless status and the fact that he had probably committed more crimes than the rest of them combined. Yes, the law really didn't apply to people like him anymore.

"Who are you?" Luffy asked.

"I assume he's miss Kaya's head bodyguard," Sin offered thoughtfully. "He's stronger than he looks. Whatever type of weapon he's most comfortable revolves around his hand, possibly blades or wires of some sort unless I miss my guess. Look how he moves his glasses."

He received an incredibly harsh and searching glare for her efforts. "I am Kurahadol, the butler her on this estate," he announced, somehow making those words sound like a threat of some sort. "And I will thank you to keep your mouth shut about things which do not concern you."

"Or not," Sin whispered, hidden almost completely behind Zoro, mask pulled up over his face and shoulders hunched slightly. "Sorry."

"Actually, Kurahadol," Kaya began to explain, "these people-"

"Not now miss Kaya," he interrupted harshly.

"What sort of butler is that?" Assassin whispered indignantly, still too unsettled to do much more than peek out from around Zoro's shoulder. "He's a dick. Butlers aren't dicks, they're annoyingly polite." Kurahadol was too far away to hear her.

"You will all take your leave now, unless of course you have any business directly with me?" Kurahadol ordered harshly. Only his phrasing was polite, the rest of his attitude was openly hostile. Assassin _seriously_ didn't think he was a butler. Sin had _seen_ butlers before and there are no butlers that came like that.

"Okay, can _you_ give us a ship?" Luffy asked.

"No." Something, or rather someone, caught Kurahadol's eyes.

"Usopp, I see you there," Kurahadol called out, making the boy panic at being spotted. "I know your reputation," he challenged, "I suppose you couldn't help but come here, after the lady Kaya's money. It's in your blood. After all you're just the son of a filthy pirate!"

That obviously hit a nerve with Usopp because he was furious. "Don't talk about my dad that way!"

"I'm surprised you didn't do what you do best, which is lie. Why not tell us that your father isn't really related to you or how he's merely a traveling merchant? You-"

"Usopp-kun, stop." Assassin spoke firmly, but he wasn't actually talking to the butler. His hand was firmly clamped down on Usopp's shoulder, anchoring him. "You see him?" he asked, gesturing to Kurahadol, "That's a man who has never seen the ocean for what it is. He hasn't seen glory or freedom or felt the joy of fighting for something of actual decent worth. That is a man who has never understood nakama because he has never had any. He never had a real crew, I'd wager he never even had a real family. He has known nothing of having and everything of wanting. You shouldn't hate him, Usopp, because he doesn't understand that. Hatred stops meaning much of anything if you feel it enough. You shouldn't fight him over this. You should pity him, because he has never had any sort of fulfilment in his life."

"That's no excuse for talking about my father that way," Usopp growled, though something in his eyes had changed and he was definitely looking at Kurahadol differently. The butler shifted slightly, not entirely understanding what Assassin had said but not quite willing to protest his accusation.

"No, it's not," Assassin agreed. "But let me put it this way. Would you rather have Kurahadol-san here as your father or Yassop-san, the top sniper on the ship of Redhaired Shanks, a Yonko of the New World whose current bounty could probably buy this island a hundred times over?"

"My father listened to his heart and chose a life of risk and adventure! He's a brave warrior of the sea and I would never choose otherwise. I am proud of my heritage! Because I'm the son of a pirate!" Usopp boasted. Zoro noted that it was actually something worth boasting about for once, and it was even something true on top of that.

"Don't talk about him in such a twisted light. You're just here to leach off lady Kaya's fortune aren't you?!" Kurahadol accused, trying to regain control of the situation.

Usopp was angry, but didn't do anything. Now that he thought about it, Kurahadol only seeing his relationship with Kaya as being based off of money was kind of sad. Didn't he understand that they could be friends without caring about that sort of thing? Usopp scowled at Kurahadol but didn't say anything.

"Just because you don't understand true friendship, does not give you the right to besmirch others," Assassin frowned at the taller man. "It's sad, that you don't even realize how lonely you are," he murmured almost inaudibly before turning back to Kaya's window. "I hope you take good care of him, lady Kaya. I'm sure you can handle it, beautiful. And you," he turned back to Kurahadol, "I understand it's your job to protect her, but you cannot smother her growth in the process. Let the girl blossom already, it's about time. The Lady Kaya needs to watch her diet, exercise and sleep patterns. And more than that she needs to find herself a purpose. Without one, she will just be laying around the mansion with nothing to do but stew in her grief and depression. Of course she can't get better like that. Usopp's stories are probably the only thing giving her any strength to live right now. She needs more sunlight too, judging by how pale she is." His scolding done, Sin turned on a heel and faced the captain. "Luffy-san, I don't think we'll be getting a ship from here anytime soon. We're going to need a new plan. Shall we take our leave?"

"Yeah," the captain agreed, grinning, "Goodbye! It was nice meeting you!"

* * *

"Where's Assassin?" Nami asked. "He was just here a minute ago."

"Ah, she's fine," Luffy dismissed.

"I think he went with the fake Captain a minute ago. He said something about a skill her sister taught her. They're fine," Zoro dismissed.

Zoro very nearly got the opportunity to enjoy an early jump on his afternoon nap before Jango the hypnotist appeared, moonwalking through town. The idiot managed to hypnotize himself in his demonstration and fell over backwards, asleep. So did Luffy. Zoro figured he may as well take the opportunity to take that nap he'd been wanting. The delay caused by the hypnotist meant nothing.

* * *

"Where are you taking me?" Usopp asked.

"I'm Assassin. But my sister was Spy," Sin boasted. "That's what we're doing. We're dropping some eves."

"Eavesdropping?" Usopp guessed.

"Yes, that," she agreed shortly. "Now shush."

"But why? Who are we even spying on?" Usopp asked, confused.

"I want to know what that soulless whelp wants with the beautiful lady Kaya," Sin snarled under his breath, "Oh, and just to warn you, you're going to join Luffy's crew. It's going to happen. I saw it in his eyes. Just a heads up, figured it'd be courteous."

"What are you talking about?!" Usopp protested. Glancing down the cliff he noticed Kurahadol and Jango talking. "Wnd what in the world is he doing down there?!"

"SHH!" Sin scolded, tackling him slightly and putting a hand over Usopp's mouth so he couldn't protest to his harsh treatment. "We're spying, remember?!" he whispered harshly. Usopp wasn't sure, but he certainly _hoped_ that he'd just been tackled by a guy. Being taken down so easily by a girl sounded embarrassing. Of course, Usopp's focus shifted pretty quickly when he heard Kurahadol - apparently Kuro - talk about his plan to kill Kaya with his pirate crew and take her money.

Sin listened with only half an ear. She didn't need to worry about Kuro's plan. It didn't affect her. Instead, she watched Usopp's reaction to the news that his town was in danger. He was shivering so hard his teeth chattered. It would appear that the future crew mate was completely and utterly petrified. That was a bad sign if he was going to be hanging out with Luffy. That sort of life required a lot of courage. Oh, wait, he snapped out of it.

"Kuro's after Kaya! What are we going to do?!" Usopp panicked, quietly so as not to attract attention and give away their position.

"Hnn." Sin shoved Usopp's face into the dirt, forcing him to maintain cover and squashing his nose. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going to go talk to him."

"What? But-!"

Assassin stood up over the edge of the cliff and let out an ear-piercing whistle, instantly catching the attention of the two pirates below them. "Hey idiots, your evil plan sucks!" she shouted before gracefully leaping off the cliff, doing a flip, and landing with a light tap on the ground in front of them. Jango tried to hypnotize her and merely knocked himself out in the attempt, not affecting the more experienced killers in the slightest. Sin watched him fall dispassionately before turning to Kuro and deadpanning, "That's what you have to work with? Dude, you seriously need to get yourself some better minions."

"Why, are you offering?" Kuro asked, somewhat contemptuously. Though in truth, most of his contempt was really geared towards the unconscious Jango rather than the girl- uh, boy? in front of him. Seriously, was this a boy or a girl? Let's just call it a girl for now.

"My name is Assassin, and I'm offering you a deal, Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates," he-she-it declared. "How has your life here been?"

"It's been horrible. Servitude is arduous. But it will all have been worth it when I finally fulfill my goal!" Kuro's eyes lit up with bloodlust.

Assassin smirked. "Hnn… nope. I don't think so. You're bored. You're _so_ bored. You've _trained_ , sure, kept in shape, but have you actually _fought?_ I'd wager that you haven't had the chance in years."

"I have given up fighting, that's the entire point of this plot," Kuro pointed out dryly.

"Hnn… you were the only one in your crew of any actual quality, clearly, and you were trapped in the East Blue. This puddle of an ocean held you back. There was no sense of fulfilment for your bloodlust so why not just give it up, is that it? Why try and enjoy yourself when there's no one strong enough to play with you?" Assassin actually started circling the tall captain, eyeing him speculatively, head cocked to the side as if hearing a song no one else could. She was listening, watching him intently. Kuro remained unmoved and unthreatened. Huh, that was interesting. "You can't just _stop_ pirating, not really. It's already in your blood."

"I already have," Kuro denied. "And soon, I will never have to be a pirate again."

Assassin stopped in her circling. The two faced each other steadily, both their eyes hard and calculating. "Earlier, when I was talking, you were not indignant over the way I talked about your crew, only the ocean. You enjoyed the challenge of it, while it lasted. You enjoyed getting stronger and stronger and now that you think you are as strong as you can get, you're willing to give it up. That's why I'm offering you this deal."

"Why should I not just kill you now and be done with it?" Kuro asked. It seemed like a fair question.

Assassin just scoffed. "Your bloodlust is already clouding your judgement. You don't have your main weapon, I'm interesting, the effort would get blood on your shoes, it doesn't matter. Just pick a reason, it's common sense after all. You know you want to hear what I have to say," she smirked at him, "regardless of how much you miss the feel of victory as you stand over your opponent's body, watching them bleed out into the ground in their final moments, blood dying the dirt new colors."

Kuro very nearly shuddered in pleasure as Assassin vividly described the scene of her death. It was beautiful. And it had been _years_ since his last real fight. Kuro resolved never to make long-term plans on this scale again. Then again, he wouldn't even need to make any plans again, after this one. He told himself that there was no sting of disappointment at that thought. "Continue," he invited, but Assassin was apparently done describing her potential death.

"Tomorrow, the crew I'm traveling with is probably going to try to stop you," Assassin stated plainly, "All I'm asking of you is to fight us, then try telling me that you aren't a pirate. Tomorrow your crew will come, and they will lose horribly."

"Against a bunch of kids?" Kuro sneered. "Unlikely."

"I know, isn't it sad? We're just a bunch of kids and we're already so much stronger than your entire crew of grown-ass men," Assassin mocked. "It's no wonder you lack any form of challenge. No wonder your bloodlust claws at you. No wonder you do not care for them or bother to learn their names. After your men lose, that's when my proposition comes into play."

"I'm listening," Kuro admitted. Regardless of what the girl - potentially a boy - had to offer, he could do nothing but win. After all, she was being terribly overconfident. It was highly unlikely that whatever this deal was would even come into play. None of this would affect the outcome of his plan.

Assassin smirked. She had certainly set up a good entrance test for the newbie, hadn't she? It helped that she'd had such great material to work with already in motion.

* * *

"You've been betrayed!" Usopp shouted, panicked, desperately trying to warn Luffy and his small crew. "Assassin has turned on you!" he warned, freaking out. After all, Assassin was probably the scariest person he'd ever met, even scarier than Captain Kuro. He explained what little he had seen before running away.

Zoro considered the situation. Assassin betraying them, huh? Nah. They had fought together. After the effort Assassin had gone through to earn their trust, it would be foolish to throw away just to join another pirate crew. They had a deal and the Pipsqueak, while he may be a Bladeless, still had what honor he could scrape together. Nami was uncertain. These were pirates. Sin had probably just decided to jump out of a sinking ship and onto the winning side. It wouldn't be anything she hadn't seen before.

"Na, Sin, have you betrayed us?" Luffy asked, turning to his side.

"No, Luffy-san. I haven't," he denied, apparently having sprung up from nowhere. "Why would I betray a crew with such beautiful people as Nami-chan," he teased, taking Nami's hand and bowing over it gallantly. Nami snatched her hand away, making him chuckle.

Usopp and the three vegetables panicked, both because she had seemingly appeared out of nowhere and because an apparent traitor and evil pirate had showed up out of nowhere. Sin just ignored them. "On a more official note," she allowed Nami to back away and put Zoro between them, "Captain Monkey D Luffy-san, of the as-yet-unnamed pirate crew (you should work on that) as a non-partisan observer, I bear a message: Tomorrow, at dawn, the Black Cat Pirates will attack this village. If you can defeat them all before the arrival of their Captain Kuro, he shall then choose a single opponent from your crew as your champion. In the event of defeat, your life is forfeit and belongs to the winner, to do with as he sees fit." Sin turned to Usopp, "See? I wasn't betraying anyone. It's called negotiating. This is essentially just a modified-to-specifications Davy Back Fight, so no takebacksies. Oh, and don't bother trying to warn the village. It would only interfere with the fight. Besides, Boy-who-cried-wolf, who would listen?"

"They would have no reason to believe me anyway," Usopp realized, understanding Assassin's reference and getting depressed. "Why should they?"

"Because you're telling them the honest truth this time," Zoro insisted. It seemed almost ridiculous to him that there were people who _couldn't_ tell the difference between truth and lies. Zoro was not a gullible person and he'd like to think that he could tell when someone was messing around and when there was a serious threat to his safety. He certainly hadn't fallen for Usopp's bluff on the cliffs and had a firm grasp on the situation with Kuro.

"You're right," Usopp realized, digging deep to find what resolve he had. "No matter what happens, tomorrow everyone in this village is just going to treat it as another perfectly average day. So I'm going to make sure it stays that way. I'll fight them myself!"

"You know, you're a good guy, Usopp," Zoro observed, standing and placing a hand on Wado Ichimonji in eagerness.

"I call dibs on all their treasure, you hear me?" Nami cut in greedily.

"There's nothing wrong with me killing a little time before we set out again," Assassin nodded. "Or killing a few small fry."

"Would you mind some help?" Luffy offered.

"You- you guys would really do that for me?" Usopp stuttered, relieved that he wouldn't be charging a pirate crew alone, regardless of whatever deal Sin claimed to have cut with their Captain.

"Why, you scared?" Zoro asked, "Your knees are shaking."

"N-nonsense! I don't need your pity!" Usopp protested, "I'm a brave warrior of the sea!"

"You just keep telling yourself that until it comes true, okay?" Sin shrugged, amused. Usopp may have found his resolve, but actually _using_ it would take some getting used to. He hadn't had a purpose chosen for himself since childhood like the others had. He hadn't grown up around dangerous people or situations, Usopp was just a village boy, starting out on his first adventure. Of course he was scared. But he was working to get past that, for the sake of his home and (Sin firmly suspected) his crush. That was something she was willing to fight beside.

"You think we'd risk our lives out of pity?" Zoro sneered, "We wouldn't fight if you weren't here."

"Exactly," Sin nodded. "We're not here to fix everything for you, just to help you out since you need us. That is all."

"And to collect their money," Nami interjected. "Don't forget the treasure!"

"And so we can kick their asses!" Luffy laughed.

Assassin sighed despairingly. "Yeah, that too."

"What about us?!" "Yeah, we can help too!" "The Usopp Pirates are here to help!" The three vegetables protested.

Assassin blinked at them before kneeling down in front of them with a very intense, serious face, "I have a very important mission for you three, the most important mission that there is in this entire operation. It all rides on you," she told them solemnly. "I know you are young, but I hold my faith in you. Protect Lady Kaya at all costs. Do not let her anyone unfamiliar into the mansion. Her life is in your hands. Now go, plan your defenses!"

"Right!" "You got it, lady!" "Lady? I thought he was a guy…" "I thought so too…"

Assassin resisted the urge to slap herself in the face, barely. "That is so not the point right now," she grouched. "Just go protect Kaya's mansion, okay? Don't go near the beach."

"You got it, lady-man!" all three chorused before running off.

Nami couldn't hold it in and laughed at Assassin before she could cover it up. Zoro didn't bother covering it up. "So, Pipsqueak-lady-man, you think they'll actually do as you said?" he mocked, still half serious and considering the upcoming battle. He hoped he got picked by this Kuro guy so he could fight him. Pipsqueak mentioned he might fight with blades. That probably meant swords, right?

"They'll stay near the mansion," Usopp agreed, relieved that they would be out of harm's way. "They like Kaya too."

"So that's settled then," Nami agreed.

"About tomorrow then…" Luffy began, "Where do we get started?"


End file.
